


Rusty's Smexy Costume Extravaganza

by rheotastic



Category: Stella Glow
Genre: Gen, I am legally obligated to put the word smexy in the title or they'll throw dirt at me in the street, I gues, I swear to GOD it does get serious despite the title, Joeks, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-01
Updated: 2018-11-01
Packaged: 2019-08-11 01:23:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16466012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rheotastic/pseuds/rheotastic
Summary: The tavern is having a Halloween party, and Rusty asks Alto if he wants to go. Alto does, but he's nervous about his costume, so he asks Rusty to help him choose one for an "adult party". Little does he know what Rusty's wearing...





	Rusty's Smexy Costume Extravaganza

**Author's Note:**

> THIS IS MY ENTRY FOR THE STELLA GLOW DISCORD SERVER'S HALLOWEEN COMPETITION! If you are reading this and you're not in that server I wholly apologize due to like half of the premise being a joke

Alto clutched the flyer even tighter to his chest, checking it for the umpteenth time in the last five minutes. The bold red lettering along the bottom edge told him the same thing it had the last few glances: _Red Bear Fright Night! 10PM - Closing_. And yet here he was, getting further and further from 10PM with no Rusty in sight.

He went back to pacing, which he’d already done enough that he was surprised there wasn’t a worn trail on the barracks floor. Alto wasn’t even sure how long he’d been waiting for Rusty—it could’ve been an hour, and it just as likely could’ve been 15 minutes. He couldn’t pinpoint why he showed up at the time his friend told him; he knew full well that _Rusty_ and _punctual_ didn’t mix, and that just fed into the wad of anxiety growing in his stomach. Maybe he fell asleep, maybe he already went out partying, maybe he forgot—

“You’re looking a little uptight for someone who’s not even ready yet.”

Rusty’s voice carried lazily over Alto’s shoulder, and he steeled himself to shoot back. “I can’t begin to get ready,” Alto said, wheeling around, “without you to...help…”

The words died in his throat the second he began to process what he was seeing. The first thing he saw was the cat ears, and then the giant, fluffy..tail? And then everything else toppled onto him all at once.

Rusty was decked out in one hell of a costume. He was wearing a sleeveless top, cut only just below his chest; that fact seemed to be accentuated by the gleaming golden zippers on either side. It was tight to his skin, a sharp contrast to the baggy, pocket-covered shorts he wore. Some sort of logo was slapped on the right side of them, a grinning devil face or something; something that looked like Dorothy had drawn it. Matching that look were the golden chains that poked out of his pockets, and matching _those_ were more chains, one affixed to a fingerless glove on his right hand, and the other...The other was latched into the metal bit of a _collar_ , boldly making its magenta presence around Rusty’s neck known.

That in turn seemed to be a set with the cat ear headband he was wearing, right down to the same color of reddish purple. The moments Alto had taken gaping at this display had confirmed that no, the fluffy _thing_ draped around Rusty’s shoulders—some sort of extra large, extra warm scarf maybe—was NOT the tail. No, he was wearing both that, and a separate magenta clip-on tail that had its _own_ clip-on: a little charm shaped like fish bones.

But that was far from the only charm present. Various medallions and badges were grouped in small patches over the muffler, all of different colors and sheens that somehow didn’t clash with the loud purple and pink stripes that patterned what they adorned. The cat ears were even decked out in _earrings_ , several per ear. Alto would’ve questioned how he didn’t hear Rusty coming with all this absurd jewelry, if he wasn’t busy with questioning every other thing wrong with the picture.

“...Okay. enough with the basking in my brilliance,” Rusty broke the silence, with an all too casual grin on his face. “Let’s get this show on the road. We gotta get you something good to wear.” He turned on his heel with a loud jingle of chains, and strode away, the purple tail swishing along with him.

Alto shook off the paralysis and jogged up to him, still entirely unsure of where to even start. If this was Rusty’s idea of a costume, he sorely regretted asking for his advice on what to wear himself. Then again, maybe this was just people in the city dressed…? Was everyone at the party going to look like this? Was HE going to have to look like this?!

Rusty’s voice broke him out of his apprehensions. “Sorry I’m a bit late,” he said, with a slight shake of his head. “I know this is a big milestone for you. I was...out, y’know.”

“You mean you were with a girl...and you were wearing...that?” Alto couldn’t hide the mystification in his voice, nor did he want to. Rusty needed, probably expected, an earful in those little fluffy purple ears, but he still couldn’t find the words to give it to him.

Rusty snickered, and waved his non-chained hand (which instead was adorned in some kind of half sleeve) dismissively. “Not _exactly_. But hey, today’s a day for treats, right? Nothing wrong with me getting something sweet.” He glanced at Alto and grinned. “And if my tricks are on the mark, you can get yourself a treat too.”

Alto opened his mouth to retort, but shut it just as quick. Rusty had invited him to come see the “adult” side of Halloween and show him the ropes—if those were the ropes, then he couldn’t reject them right away. He might act casual, but Rusty really did care about sharing his own world with Alto; it was a nice sentiment, and Alto wouldn’t let it go unrecognized, even if the results were a bit unsavory.

“So…” he murmured, trying to change the topic and his thoughts from any girls he would be forced to speak to. “Do you want to tell me what you were thinking with that outfit?”

“All in due time, my apprentice.” Rusty lounged into each step he took, apparently ignoring both Alto’s skepticism and haste. “It’s nice to see you so enthusiastic about learning from the master.”

Alto sighed, and tried to relax himself slightly. Rusty was right, he did know a lot about this kind of thing, and it wasn’t that Alto didn’t trust him to get results; it was more what getting those results meant for _him._ He didn’t like the look of it so far.

_...Still. I could stand to learn just a bit from Rusty’s carefree attitude._ Alto loosened his grip on the flyer, carefully tucking it into his pocket.

He went back to scanning the costume up and down, looking for little details that he missed. For one, he could see that Rusty had some makeup on: little black triangles drawn a bit under his eyes. He also noticed the presence of several rings on either hand, some with little emblems on their face. Oddly, the one thing that seemed to stick out to Alto now were Rusty’s shoes—they weren’t his normal pair, but they were simple, clean white, with black soles. There was nothing loud about them, unlike every other piece, which screamed their own presence in attempts to drown the others out. Staring at his feet, though, had made Alto realize something.

He was following Rusty, but he had no idea where they had been going.

He looked around wildly, shaken from the pink cat’s trance. Okay, they were in the barracks still, that was good; Alto would’ve seriously worried for himself if they’d left without him noticing. Wait, the wall sconces here...this corridor was the one that fed into—

“My room?” he mumbled, half dazed from the perceived change in scenery. Rusty apparently heard him, and jerked his head forward with a jingle.

“Yup. Where else we gonna get your costume but the storage room? Got some great stuff stashed in there.” Rusty snickered and rubbed his hands together. “And a couple finishing touches missing from my masterpiece.” He gestured from his chest down in a motion that was just a bit too sensual, but pointed down at his shoes. “No socks. Not that I’d make such a _crucial_ misstep. But I know where the right ones are,” Rusty said, punctuating the word _crucial_ with a shake of his chained hand.

Alto stayed quiet this time, half because he was concentrating on not spacing out again, half because he was wondering what on _earth_ Rusty had put in his room without his knowledge. He had never gone snooping into anyone’s things, and what Rusty had just said made him deeply relieved that he hadn’t. They were just rounding the corner to his room though, so he'd get his answers soon enough. 

"Awright, time to watch the master at work!" Rusty said, striding forward and pushing Alto's door open in a single motion, hard enough that it clunked against the wall. He made a beeline for the shelves in the back of the room, but turned to look over his shoulder and grinned. "Rusty's style class is now in session!"

"What kind of style, exactly...?" Alto muttered, plunking himself down on his bed. If he'd known Rusty was just planning to rifle through his room for a costume, he would've done it himself much earlier. Still, he didn't complain, quietly watching Rusty ferret about. 

"Bingo!" Rusty said gleefully, yanking something out from the top of a heap. It was apparently the pair of socks he'd been looking for, striped pink and charcoal gray; a definite match to the rest of his costume. 

"Aren't those Dorothy's socks...?" Alto asked, with only a hint of fear in his voice. It didn't seem like a good idea to touch Dorothy's things, let alone borrow them. He was sure Rusty knew that, but he didn't know Rusty was _this_ devoted to his craft.

Rusty nodded, not even a shadow of concern crossing his face. "She won't notice anything. And I'm not scared of any rabbits." He laughed and raised his arms, hanging his hands down and curling his fingers to his palms. "No match for a hungry cat."

Alto blinked languidly, utterly at a loss on how to respond to that. Best to just let it slide at this point; he needed a costume. He offered a weak "mhm" in response, hoping Rusty would just carry along on his own.

Which he did, as usual. "Okay!" Rusty said, clapping his hands together. "That's me covered, so lets start on you. Halloween is a battlefield Alto. Every costume is designed to be the best, so you have only one option: be better than their best. There's a lot to consider: what's popular this year, what suits your image best, what you can pull off, who you're appealing to..." Rusty counted off each point on his fingers, as serious as if he were an actual teacher. "If you think through it and work hard enough, you can get a costume with the brilliant harmony of mine," he said with a snicker.

Alto barely suppressed a laugh. That costume was less harmonious and more...the exact opposite. It was a cacophonous, gaudy, eyesore of a monster, and he couldn't wait to hear Rusty's "ironclad" reasoning behind it. 

Rusty tilted his head to the side and sighed in resignation. "...But I think a lot of that would go over your head. So we'll start with peacocking."

"Peek gawking...?" Alto repeated awkwardly. "Is that like, looking at a girl without her noticing...?" 

"That is a technique you'll learn one day, but no." Rusty smiled, his voice mocking. "A peacock is a bird, first of all. remember them from our spotting practice?"

"Ummm..." Alto tried to think back to the time he and Rusty spent in the aviary, even though he hadn't learned much about birds. Rusty said that pinpointing particular birds was a mark of trained eyesight, but he just used it spot girls—Alto didn't think Rusty actually knew any of the birds, much less would quiz him on them. "Are they the ones with the big tails...?"

Rusty grinned and nodded heartily. "Very good! What can you tell me about them, then?" Rusty had an unusual glimmer in his eye; he seemed extra pleased with that answer. Maybe he was just happy that Alto remembered something about their outings. 

"They're uh...Very pretty," Alto said, entirely unsure of what Rusty wanted him to say. "They're big and very colorful, so they're not hard to spot at all...?"

"Correct! Very thoughtful analysis Alto." He snorted, and continued before Alto could retort. "That's what peacocking is. You gotta make yourself unmissable, so even the untrained eye can spot you quickly." He gestured at himself. "No one's going to be able to look away from this."

"That is...true." Alto said. And he meant it. There was so much going on in that outfit, it was hard to take his eyes off of it. He felt like he could be looking for hours, and still be finding new details. 

"And furthermore!" Rusty said, puffing himself up, proud yet absurd. "Peacocking goes beyond physical. Auditory peacocking is an art few know how to utilize, and still fewer have mastered." His hand fell to the chain on his collar, gently fiddling with it to make it clink together. "That's where these babies come in."

"...Right," Alto said blearily, worrying more and more for his own fate. "So your priority is attracting attention, even if it's bad?"

"Bad? No, no, no! Every part of this costume works on a different seductive angle!" Rusty did seem just a touch indignant, but his tone was still jovial. "Top to bottom: cat ears are popular with girls, and convey an attractively wild nature, a penchant for mischief, and a cute side. The earrings are a standout, and they give a sense of style." He pointed to each part of his costume as he narrated the finer points, jingling furiously as he did so. "Face paint: draws the gaze to the eye, which women are known to find especially attractive. Collar has a charming, punk look, and the chains hint at a secretly tortured nature. Crop top shows off my kickin bod. Fingerless gloves maintain the bad boy look, without closing yourself off to touch, implying sensuality. Rings offer both secure femininity and individuality. This boa," he said, rubbing the muffler against his cheek, "is very touchably soft. Girls are always looking for a soft side, but love the contrast between a punk appearance and a bit of vulnerability. Also, its a little cold out, and this keeps me pretty warm. It's got some decorations on it for intrigue too. These shorts! Full of pockets, and that means secrets, and mystery. And a lot of the outfit is purple, that shows security in oneself, and the ability to keep in touch with feminine sensibilities." He folded his arms and grinned. "I told you. this takes a lot of thought."

Alto stared at him with his mouth open. He couldn't really deny anything Rusty had just said, and if he had been told it before he saw the costume, he would've believed him without question. It seemed to add up on its own, but... "Am I going to have to wear something like that?" Alto said, his mouth dry.

"Hm? Oh, no, of course not," Rusty said rather simply, looking disappointed that Alto hadn't praised him on his opus. "All that stuff went into amplifying _my_ natural charm, and none of it went against it." Rusty turned back to the storage. "We've gotta find something that builds on your good points—like, the innocent clueless type."

"I'm not sure how I feel about you saying those are my good points..." Alto sighed, but with no small amount of relief. As long as Rusty wasn't going to force him into sexy cat hell, he could live with it. 

"Ooh, what have we here?" Rusty exclaimed, and dragged something out of one of Alto's boxes. It was a brown leather vest, which looked a little threadbare, but sturdy. Wolf fur was lined in the inseam, to prevent chill in the colder months. 

"That's my vest from when I was in Mithra!" Alto said, excitedly running over to Rusty and taking it out of his hands. "Miss Rosa sewed the fur in, from a wolf I hunted myself. It's really cozy." He smiled, memories of Mithra contained in the vest spilling out into him. "What did you want it for?"

Rusty stared at the vest silently, clearly listening to Alto but not responding. "Wolf fur..." he repeated, whatever ominous thoughts he was having congealing into a grin. "I think we just found your costume, Alto."

Alto felt his face pale and took a half step back, feeling himself being sucked back into the pit of costume purgatory. "You mean—"

"A werewolf!" Rusty said cheerfully, pretending not to see Alto's reservations. "It's perfect! A cat and dog duo! Okay, you find the rest of your clothes from Mithra, and I'll take care of the...accessories." He laughed devilishly and set off digging in his own stuff. "I'm thinking a collar, some paw gloves, some slippers, and of _course_ some ears and a tail," Rusty said, like it was the most natural thing in the world that he'd have those things. "I don't know if I have a tail, but the little brat keeps an extra in here, right? We'll use that."

"W-wait!" Alto said, his processing failing to catch up with him. "I thought you said I couldn't handle the wild look!"

"Oh, nah. You can't. Werewolves come in more than one variety, though," Rusty said with a shrug. "We're going for the cuter look. Like a puppy dog." He grinned, and tilted his head so the cat ears drooped to the side with a clink. "Don't feel bad though. It's not easy to pull off; I couldn't do it. And I don't think you could on your own. You're lucky to have such a gracious teacher."

"Why doesn't it feel that way...?" Alto mumbled, caving in and kneeling on the floor to sift through his clothes. 

•••

"And...done," Rusty said as he placed the wolf ear headband on Alto like a tiara at a coronation. "The transformation from man to beast is complete." He snickered, and looked Alto up and down, measuring his work. "None too shabby if I do say so myself. Give us a little wag."

Alto grimaced. He was wearing the plain white shirt he'd been wearing when he left Mithra, along with the vest that Rusty was so interested in. Aside from that, it was uncharted territory. The ears Rusty picked out for him (among a few choices he had, apparently) were dusty brown and a bit squarer and furrier than the cat ears; apparently that was the "important distinction". The color did match the tail that they... borrowed, which Rusty had styled to look a bit more coarse. Even more fur adorned the bracelets snapped just under the cuffs of his shirt, giving the appearance of excess hair poking out from his sleeves. Alto wasn't sure why that was even necessary, since Rusty had him wear paw gloves. Well, more like mittens; the toes of each paw were fixed, leaving only the one for the thumb fully motile. His feet were decked out in paws as well, as soft bottom slippers that seemed like they would tear apart if we went anywhere. Rusty instructed him to wear whatever loose fitting pants he had around to cover the top of the slippers, and he chose the first ones he could find. They were brown, and maybe a bit _too_ loose. He had the belt from his uniform on, but it was hung on so haphazardly that he wasn't sure it would hold up anything. 

"Can't I wear fingerless gloves like you?" Alto griped, struggling to adjust his costume with his paws. The collar Rusty snapped on him seemed a bit tight—of all the issues he'd never thought he'd have. He didn't have the chains that Rusty had clipped to his, and that was his only saving grace. 

"Nope. Told ya. They're bad boy, and that's not what we're going for. You're more like..." He paused, smirked, and reached to ruffle Alto's hair. "A veeeeery good boy!"

Alto smacked him away and continued fidgeting with his costume. "You're sure this looks good?"

"Definitely. Try to keep that insecurity, too. It compliments the look," Rusty gave him a small pat on the back. "The girls we're gunning for love sensitive guys."

"Let's just go," Alto muttered, padding out of the room, tail swinging in tow. 

•••

"Yooo, Kayaj!" Rusty waved as he entered the tavern, jangling almost loud enough to drown his words out. "Hope you saved me a seat!"

Kayaj waved back as Rusty strutted over, Alto in tow. "Hey, Rusty! I see you're going all out with the costume again this year!" He laughed and waved them toward a couple seats by the bar. "Come on, have a seat! The night is young!"

Alto gingerly sat down to avoid crushing his tail on the seat and peered around nervously. The tavern was alight, but not like it usually was. The lanterns that dangled from the ceiling had been replaced with ones shaped like little smiling pumpkins, and there were a few bats hung up as well. The standing lamps were shaded in purple on top of their usual gold, giving them an ethereal glow. Curtains hung from the ceiling girders, tattered and black. All of the tablecloths were orange and black, but sewn in with intricate patterns just like the normal ones were. It even smelled different; usually the tavern smelled like alcohol, incense, a bit of smoke, with just a whiff of spice. Tonight, some mixture of sweet aromas permeated the air, both floral and saccharine, and dark notes of licorice. 

But what struck Alto immediately was how different the people there looked. Not that he'd ever describe the clientele of the Red Bear as dull, but everyone was ablaze with color. They were dressed as all manner of things—some employing every terror trick in the book, some in gaudy, feathery masterpieces, some in outfits that seemed way too revealing, and some in hats that were the spitting image of Hilda's. But even though they all looked totally different they all sparkled with the same vivacity and mirth that warmed the whole tavern. It was always abuzz with conversation, but it was typically grouped to particularly loud tables or individuals. Instead, the geniality of conversation swathed the environment, in an energetic chorus of dozens of voices.

Kayaj seemed to be dressed up too, though Alto couldn't figure out what he was going for. He wasn't wearing a shirt, for one, and had on a bright red vest, cut only to the base of his chest. Alto only saw glimpses of his pants, but they looked like they were leather. "What are you supposed to be, Kayaj...?" Alto asked, anxiously tugging at the collar around his neck. Was he wearing way too much?

Kayaj grinned and threw his arms out wide. "I'm a red bear! It's a no-brainer, right?"

Alto's gaze drifted up to Kayaj's hair, looking for yet another set of fuzzy ears, but finding none. "...But you don't have paws or claws or anything. I don't see any bear ears either." He was getting more worried by the second. Did Rusty trick him into an over complicated costume for a laugh? Was it supposed to be much simpler?

Just when he expected to be told off, Kayaj threw his head back and laughed. "That's not the kind of bear I'm talkin' about, kiddo! I mean—"

"This is Alto's first Halloween with the big boys," Rusty cut in. "He doesn't get all the nuance yet. I had to help him with his costume." Rusty glanced at Alto from the corner of his eye. "He could be a little more grateful."

"Oh, is that so?" Kayaj said. He gestured to the brimming room, practically beaming. "Whatcha think so far?"

"It's...different than I expected." Alto said, glancing around again. He wasn't even sure what he expected, but it had loomed over him and made him anxious for so long; that was the exact opposite of how it felt.

Kayaj laughed again and turned his back to them, filling the glasses from the keg. "Most good things are. I'll take that as a compliment!" He pointed vaguely over his shoulder to the far side of the room. "We've got a treats table if ya gotta sweet tooth kiddo! As for the 'trick' part.." He slid the drinks down the bar to a waiting patron. "Whatcha drinkin' today, boys?" His eyes fell on Rusty, particular on "his" ears. "Maybe a nice saucer of milk? Ha!"

Rusty grinned right back at him. "Whatever's good. You know what I like." He gave Alto a friendly shove. "And some mulled cider for the pup."

"Coming right up! Enjoy yourselves, boys!" Kayaj set about preparing their drinks, but his attention was on other customers now. 

Rusty turned to Alto and rested his head in his hand, leaning to the side. "So, is your first grown up Halloween really that different? I thought you'd say this is just like any other day for me." Rusty spoke without a hint of bitterness in his voice, not challenging the partial truth of that statement.

"Well, it's—" Alto stopped himself, weighing his choices. He didn't want to embarrass himself, but he didn't want to be dishonest to Rusty. "...It's really my first Halloween." Rusty's eyes widened slightly, and he fixed them on Alto, silently encouraging him to continue. "From my earliest memories...I was already too old for the kids' version of Halloween. And I was too young for this. I've never really...experienced the holiday. Not that I'm really upset about it!" Alto quickly amended himself, trying to keep from being a drag. "It was just...hard to approach from nowhere. I'm sorry I wasn't acting grateful earlier; I really am, I guess I was just shaken up a bit—"

"Come on Alto, I was just joking!" Rusty said, shoving him gentler than normal. "I didn't expect you to come crashing in full force. It's new to you, I knew _that_ much; I was trying to introduce you to something new in the best way possible. This place really knows how to throw a party." He leaned his head further to the side, so that it was almost parallel to the counter. "And hey, if you want the real kid Halloween experience, you could always take the kids out. They'd love to have a new big bro to show 'em around!"

"Kids...?" Alto repeated, lost. Maybe he meant Marie and Dorothy...? They went out with the Witches, though...

Rusty stiffened, evidently caught in a slip of the tongue. He sat straight up for a moment, then gave in with a sigh and slumped. "...Yeah, the kids from the orphanage. They don't really have people to take em out for candy, and they don't really have costumes either." He huffed a bit and muttered, "Haven't even had a drop and I'm already loose in the lips." He turned away from Alto slightly, waving his hand casually. "By the way, that's also why I have that stuff...most of it, anyway. You're wearing some hand-me-downs."

Stunned into silence, Alto simply stared down at his paws. Rusty had these for kids...Here he was thinking it was something to do with his escapades with girls. Were they expensive? Was he responsible for all of them? Was it okay for Alto to borrow them? Yet somehow the question that bubbled to his lips was "Is that where you were earlier?"

Rusty nodded nonchalantly. "Yup, yup. I was out later than usual, cause some of the older kids wanted to go look at some of the scarier houses." He paused, looking down at himself and back at Alto. "And hey, don't grill me on this. Kids like cats and fluffy things." 

Alto agreed stiffly, though the thought hadn't even occurred to him. That Rusty would go out of his way to help those kids have fun on his own time was incredibly kind, but he looked like he didn't want to talk about it. Specifically, like he didn't want praise for it; his tone suggested it was no big deal. Still, he couldn't just give Rusty a dishonest response, or make him think he didn't care. "I think...that it's very kind of you to share what you can Rusty. As someone who wouldn't have had this experience without you."

Rusty made a "pshhh" noise and waved him away. "Nah. I'm just going around making sure people get to have fun on one of my favorite holidays. It's pretty selfish cause I just want to have fun with 'em, and it's only by my terms." Rusty said lazily, not even committing to his flimsy excuse. "Besides, its normal for everyone to get to celebrate. Just letting it pass some people by is cruel, so it's just common decency."

He sounded resolute, or at least resolutely stubborn, so Alto decided to change the subject. He couldn't really argue with his last point anyway; that was one way to look at things. "So, you do really like Halloween then?"

"Yeah, man," Rusty said, perking up at the new topic. "I mean, I don't need a special day of the year to drink and get girls. Pretty much every day would be Halloween for me if that was all." He leaned back over his stool, surveying the crowd. "But look at all those different people. All having the time of their lives, chatting it up, and all in whatever getup they want. It's like a celebration of the individual." Rusty shook his head slightly, then looked back at Alto. "You noticed it too, right? How everyone clashes visually, but they're all totally at ease? How can you not love that?

"Though...that's not even the whole reason." He sighed again, resigning himself. "You got me all moody again. But...Halloween used to be a day all about fear, yeah? Not the fun kind. Back when every day was a living hell, and it was just a day about desperately trying to escape ruin." His eyes look distant, seeming a paler blue than before. "But time went on, and it...changed. The reason for fear went away one day, but the tradition remained, and instead it just turned into...fun. The ghosts of the past stopped being haunting, and everyone was able to smile again, even on the monument to fear and hopelessness. Hell, that monument turned out to be one of the liveliest days of the year! And a lot of it's for kids...that's like, hope for the future or something, right?" He smiled wistfully, In a very non-Rusty way. "I don't know. I just think it's nice that the worst day of the year could become some of the best moments of your life. Something to look forward to."

He shook himself quickly, as if awaking from a trance. "But hey, that's just me. There are simpler pleasures to be had too; gotta love sweets! Of _alllllll_ kinds." Rusty grinned casually and his tone was lighthearted, but there was an unusual softness in his eyes. For once, his costume didn't look so ridiculous.

Alto blurted the first  and most prominent thought in his head, barely even aware he was speaking. "I really do think you're a good person, Rusty. You deserve...a lot."

"...Heh." Rusty reached his hand over to Alto, gently patting his shoulder, then reaching slightly for his hair. "Well Alto, I think you're...

"A GOOD BOY! WHO'S A GOOD BOY?" Rusty got Alto in a headlock before he could react, and ruffled his hair viciously. The headband was moving around because of the vigorous action, poking Alto and digging into his skin.

Alto grunted, and tried in vain to get Rusty off him. "Hey! Come on, lemme go!"

Their voices melted into the warmth of the night,  just like so many others.

**Author's Note:**

> THANK U FOR READING ALL THE WAY THRU!!! hope u too have a smexy halloween


End file.
